Hong-Shyuan CHEN, Tzu-Wei LIN, Jung-Ping LIU^*, Yueh OUYANG¹, and Hsiu-Fong CHANG²

Department of Photonics, Feng Chia University, No. 100, Wenhwa Rd., Seatwen, Taichung, Taiwan 40724, Republic of China
¹Department of Physics, R.O.C. Military Academy, No. 1, Wei-Wu Rd., Fengshan, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 83059, Republic of China
²Center for General Education, Technology and Science Institute of Northern Taiwan, No. 2, Xueyuan Rd., Peitou, Taipei, Taiwan 112, Republic of China

(Received June 27, 2008; Accepted January 20, 2009)

Holographic recordings in a LiNbO₃ crystal using ordinary and extraordinary light in transmission-type geometry were performed. The system parameters of storage capacity (M/#), sensitivity, and signal-to-noise ratio were measured. Although extraordinary light will induce stronger fanning light (nonlinear enhanced scattered light) in LiNbO₃, our experimental results indicate that the system using extraordinary light is superior to that using ordinary light. Our demonstrations and results can help to optimize the holographic recording in some applications of volume holographic optical element (VHOE), such as wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) filters in optical communication.

Key words: holographic recording, polarization state, lithium niobate, storage capacity, sensitivity, signal to noise ratio

^*E-mail address: jpliu@fcu.edu.tw